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One of Leeds City Council's most senior Labour politicians has dramatically lost his seat to the Tories in the local election .

Councillor Richard Lewis, the executive member for regeneration, transport and planning in Leeds, lost by 244 votes to Trish Smith of the Conservatives.

Lewis has been instrumental in many of the city's most notable development projects in recent years, including the regeneration of the Southbank area of the city and cycle super highway currently under construction.

"I've had a very good innings, and politics is politics", Lewis said in the moments after the defeat.

"I am not someone who thinks they have a god given right to remain a council member forever - that's democracy, and I can live with that."

Last year was a significant year in the Conservative Party's attempts to take control of the Pudsey ward. They gained two of the three seats on the night with long-serving councillor Mick Coulsen failing to gain re-election. Cllr Lewis himself only held on to his by 57 votes.

For the results from all 33 wards in this year's local election - CLICK HERE .

The Tories now hold all three seats in the ward - a complete overhaul compared to how the ward was represented two years ago.

"Last year was a difficult year", Lewis added.

"All-out elections always are but it iis very difficult to analyse it and say what xthe particular causes were, and it is always very difficult when you are the one remianing candidate from a party facing an election the year after the last one.

'I look at a whole host of wonderful things we've done'

"Clearly the momentum is against you, but again for me it has been a very productive year both in Pudsey and in the city of Leeds, so I have no regrets at all.

"We've had huge cuts to our bugets - we've come through those and continued to provide core services, and go further than that.

"I look at things like getting Channel 4, the flood alleviation scheme, development Southbank, the provision of jobs we are creating - a whole host of wonderful things we've done.

"It is all about national politics. It must have been about three weeks into the campaign before anybody asked me about anything I had done."

Leeds City Council election

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